Kiln



J. B. RIFFLE AND L. H. HARTMAN.

. v KILN.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 5.1921.

1,41 1 ,87 1 Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JEROME B. RIFFLE AND LOUIS H. HARTMAN, OF UI-IRICHSVILLE, OHIO.

KILN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1922.

Application filed May 5, 1921. Serial No. 466,910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JEROME B. Erm ne and Louis H.HARrnAN,citizens of the United States, residing at Uhrichsville, in the county of Tuscarawas and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Kilns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention appertains to certain improvements in kilns for burning clay ware, such as brick, flue liners, sewer pipes, and kindred clay products.

The principal object of the invention is to provide for an extremely refined and simplified kiln construction of the type mentioned, and one designed for manufacture and installation at a comparatively low cost, and for economy in fuel consumption with a high standard of efliciency in operation.

A further and equallyimportant object of the invention is to provide for a kiln of the character mentioned, and one embodying refined features of construction and arrangement, whereby to insure of a uniform distribution of the fire or heated air throughout the interior of the kiln for the consequent uniform burning of the clayware or products, and to otherwise prevent cracking or over burning thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide for a kiln of the type mentioned, and one characterized by the provision of a means for controlling and regulating the distribution of the fire or heated air within the kiln, whereby to obtain the uniform distribution of the fire or heated air, as aforesaid, or to vary the distribution from one point to another within the kiln, if desired or necessary.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention resides in the certain novel and useful construction and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, set forth in the appended claims, and'illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a horizontal section through the preferred embodiment of the kiln,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 2'2 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 48 is a fragmentary vertical section. taken on the line l4t of Fig. 3, and,

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, wherein similar teriorly by means of a series of metal bands 12 encircling the same. while the outer face of the dome or top wall 11 is preferably covered by a plating as indicated at 13.

In the present instance, the fioor of the kiln is preferably in the form of checker work, designated generally at 14:, and rising upwardly and centrally through the floor is a fire or heated air distributing flue 15, preferably circular in cross section, and extending transversely of the lower portion of the flue 15 is a flame or heated air deflector or baffle 16, which is disposed across the path of, or in right angular relation with respect to the passage ways through the fire or heat conducting flues 17 and 18, opening into the central flue 15 from the furnace openings 17 and 18, respectively, which are located at points diametrically opposite of and with in the lower portion of the vertical wall 10. The opposite sides of the fire or heated air deflector or baffle 16' are preferably formed with horizontally extending grooves 16, whereby to cause a spreading of the heated air striking the opposite ,walls thereof, throughout the entire area of the central flue 15, and, consequently, to facilitate the spreading of the same to all parts of the interior of the kiln in its exit from the upper end of the latter.

Extending radially outward from points adjacent the central flue 15, and beneath the checker work floor 14 of the kiln, are a series of equidistantly spaced exit flues 19, which connect the vertical wall 10 and open into the lower ends of a corresponding number of vertically extending fiues 20, formed in the latter, and which, in turn, connect at their upper ends to the fines of stacks or chimneys 21 rising from the top face of the wall 10. Opening through the upper walls providing these laterally curving extensions 19', with their openings 22 disposed in circular alinement corresponding to the curvature of the wall 10, the draft created through the kiln, by the several stacks 21 being spaced e uidistantly around the same, will act to edeet the uniform distribution of the heated air from the central flue 15 and radially therefrom to all arts of the interior of the kiln, such as will effect a uniform burning of the articles arranged within the latter.

Each of the vertical flues 20 is provided with a damper 24 adapted to be manipulated from a point exteriorly of the vertical wall 10, and by the selective manipulation of these dampers, the draft through the kiln may be varied throughout a comparatively wide range, and with all of the same withdrawn to open osition, the fire or heated air will be unlformly distributed to all parts of the interior of the kiln, as hereinbefore stated, and b closing certain of the dampers, the fire or lieated air can be directed correspondingly and concentrated at any desired point, or points therein.

In the operation of the kiln, as shown and described herein, clay articles are to be inserted into the interior thereof throughthe entrance opening 25, and the latter closed in an suitable or known manner before the firing operation is proceeded with. Fires havin been madein the furnaces, flames or heate air from the same will be directed inwardly of the flues 17 and 18, or forced therethrough b the draft created in the same, and will e directed upwardly of the central flue 15, in a uniform manner by the deflector or'bafiie 16 extending transversely of the latter in the path of the oppositely incomin flames or streams of heated air. With al of the several dampers 24 open, the heated air from the central flue 15 will be uniformly drawn to all parts of the kiln and downwardly around the article to be burnt, and out of the checker work floor 14 through the opening-s22, and into the dues 19 leading to the vertical fines 20 at the lower ends of the stacks 21. By closing one or more of the dampers 24;, the heated air from the central flue 15 may be directed to any and all desired points within the kiln, as, for instance, by closing all of the dampers at oneside of the latter, all of the heated air from the flue '15 will be drawn to the opposlte sides thereof, and outwardly of the stacks in which the dampers are open.

It is contemplated, in the commercial application of the invention, to make use of the checker work floor 14 only when the clay articles are to be heated to a glazing heat,

1 andtodispense with this form of floor when the articles are not to be glazed, thus lowering the floor level to the plane of the upper faces of the top walls of the outlet flues 19,

whicharrangement'will not only decrease the cost of manufacture, but will also greatly add to the capacity of the kiln. Also, the number of furnaces used will vary correspondingly with an increase in the size of the kiln, the standard size, about thirty-two feet in diameter, to have three of the furnaces or fire places opening into the lower end portion of the vertical wall 10 thereof.

It is well understood that, while the kiln has been described and illustrated herein in specific terms and details, various changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit'of the invention, or the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed is 1.. In a kiln as characterized, a flue disposed centrally of the kiln, furnaces disposed at opposite sides of the kiln and havin heat conducting passages connecting sai centrally disposed flue, a heat deflector disposed within the lower portion of said centrally disposed flue and interposed between the opposed ends of the said heat conducting passages, exit flues extending radially of the kiln beneath the floor thereof and in communication with the interior of the kiln through openings formed in the floor of the latter, said exit flues having laterally extending branches disposed inwardlv of and parallel to the vertical wall of the kiln and in communication with the interior of the latter through openings formed in the floor thereof, stacks spaced around the top face of the vertical'wall of the kiln and having the flues thereof extending downwardly within the latter, the lower ends of the flues in the vertical wall of the kiln being arranged formed in the floor thereof, said exit flues h aving laterally extending branches disposed slightly inward ofthe walls of the kiln and also in communication with the interior thereof. stacks rising from the outer ends of said exit fines. and means for controlling the distribution of the heated air in its passage through the kiln through said stacks.

In testimony whereof, we aflix our signat res hereto.

(TE-ROME B. RIFFLE. LOUIS H; HARTMAN. 

